Banshee Reeks Walk Featured Melting Ice and Hermit Thrushes

Photo by Lisa Streckfess

Fifteen birders joined Joe Coleman, John Denice, Carol Sotilli, Jane Yocum and Michael Sciortino for a beautiful fall bird walk at Banshee Reeks on Saturday, November 11. With the light rain from the day before still frozen on the trees, shrubs and grasses of the preserve, it was a great morning to be out looking for fall birds. It was somewhat uncomfortable when the ice started melting and dripping on us, and the photographers needed to take extra precautions with their equipment. And, while bird activity started out slow, it increased as the morning warmed up.

With such a large number of attendees, we split into two groups with Joe, Carol and Jane leading one group that headed east. Michael Sciortino and John Denice led the second group to the west of the visitor center.

The highlights from Joe’s group included a whopping nine Hermit Thrushes (several of which were well seen), one Gray Catbird, six Eastern Towhees and 25 Cedar Waxwings eating fox grapes and poison ivy berries along with American Robins and Eastern Bluebirds. This group recorded 38 species and covered 1.4 miles.

Winter Wren.
Photo by Michael Sciortino

Michael and John’s group headed in the opposite direction and traveled along the Raspberry Trail staying close to the edge habitat. The parking area was quieter than normal with just a few Eastern Bluebirds perching on wires. As we turned off the entrance road onto the trail, activity started to pick up with Pileated Woodpeckers flying back and forth and foraging for insects with other woodpeckers joining in. We tracked a pair of Hermit Thrushes as they sang from the brush and caught good views and photos as well. White-throated sparrows began darting across the path as we proceeded, and their numbers mounted as we went along.

We then made our way to the Carter-Luck Trail and had a few looks at the Goose Creek while the mist surrounded us and began to burn off. Initially we heard a lone Belted Kingfisher and would hear another at the Goose Creek overlook. The overlook area was active with White-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Two highlights were a second-year Bald Eagle perched in a tree lining the field across the Goose Creek and a vocal Winter Wren in the open on the opposite bank for all to see and photograph. Michael and John’s group recorded 34 species and covered 2.4 miles.